IDA GENEVA ANDERSON


1893 - 1939

IDA GENEVA ANDERSON
written by Joseph A. Anderson, Sr.
June 11, 1978

    Ida Geneva Anderson, born April 23, 1893, was the 4th child in the John H. Anderson
family.  She was a beautiful girl, dark brown eyes and an abundant amount of black hair.
She had many fine qualities.  Cooking fancy cakes and cookies was one of her delights. 
Sewing and doing fancy work with needles resulted in many hours of pleasure for her. 
She made beautiful embroidered pillow slips and fancy silk handkerchiefs.  The Temple
Aprons she made were the finest I've ever seen.  Her dresses and clothing were always
clean and well pressed.  Geneva always kept up her appearance and enjoyed dressing up
whenever she was going out.  She was a good housekeeper and always kept busy doing
something around the home. 
     Her big handicap was health.  She wasn't a strong person and suffered much of the
time from terrific headaches.  She attended school at the Benson and Brigham Young
College.  This is where she met Milicent and Vivian Willmore.  Through this
acquaintance, Joseph and Milicent became sweethearts.  Geneva was a shy person but
when once a friend, she was loyal and true. This is how she met Milicent.  Between
classes at school the two Willmore girls often saw Geneva by herself.  One day Milicent
asked Geneva about her schedule and started to talk about things in general.  They
became friends. As time passed, Geneva said she would like the two Willmore girls to
come home for Sunday dinner.  It was agreed to cone the next Sunday.  After dinner the
family gathered in the Parlor and the girls sang several songs.  One I remember was "I
Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now."  Vivian played the organ and the two girls sang.  They
made a big hit with the family. Father Anderson was especially pleased with their songs.
The girls became well acquainted.  Sometime later Geneva and Joe gave a party and
invited Milicent, Vivian and others from their schools (Joe was going to U.A.C.).  From
this introduction through Geneva, Joe and Milicent became sweethearts. Milicent was
always a good friend to Geneva and very often went with her to select hats, dresses, and
other wearing apparel. She was called to teach Sunday School and was active in the 
M.I.A. organization. 
     Geneva passed away in her sleep on February 17, 1939. In Father's journal he recorded
on February 19: "We experienced our first real sorrow.  The passing of Geneva came very
unexpected, although her health had been poor for many years and at times she had been
seriously ill.  The last few days she recalled feeling better than she had for a long time, a
marked change of cheerfulness entered her life, she seemed happy and joyful."

Geneva
by Suzanne Kennedy    

 Geneva's best friend was Millicent.  She introduced her to her brother Joe.  They hit it
off and were married.  Her best friend became her sister-in-law.

     My Great Aunt Geneva never married.  At one time she was promised to a young man
whom she deeply loved.  Her father denied the marriage because he had nothing to offer
her.  He went away for a year to work and then they were to be married.  At the close of
that year he fell in love with another and married her.  Geneva was devastated.  Her
health began to get bad about the same time.  She had terrible seizures - like epilepsy. 
Her health steadily got worse.  One night in the middle of the night, Charlotte woke Rube
up and told him her father needed her and he must take her to Logan.  He said in the
morning they would go, but she insisted they go right then.  So they got dressed and left,
arriving just at the break of day.  She found her father sitting at the kitchen table.  He told
her Geneva had just passed away and her mother needed her.  Geneva's heart had burst. 
She was found lying in a pool of blood.  My Grandma was asked to clean her up and
prepare her body.  Geneva was 4 years younger than Charlotte.  She died at age 46.

(Naomi Anderson Peterson, a niece, recalls that Geneva's health problems stemmed from
having been kicked in the stomach by a horse when she was a young girl. When Geneva
felt well. she was always busy. doing good things for people, and baking and cooking,
and sharing those items with others. Naomi spoke with her daughter and three nieces in
an interview at Naomi's home in Layton, Utah, August 5, 1992.)



Geneva and Millicent